There are over 1,600 Division I hockey players in the NCAA, and 13 of those players are from Latvia. Two of those 13 happen to be on the ASU hockey team.
Junior forward Filips Buncis and defenseman Gvido Jansons, also a junior, grew up in the towns of Jelgava and Grobina, Latvia, respectively. As they progressed through their young hockey careers, they knew of each other but did not play together until 2013.
Before then, however, they were rivals. Buncis joined SK Riga, while Jansons joined Metalurgs Liepājas for the 2011-12 season.
Although they suited up for opposing teams, playing for the Latvian national team at the World Juniors together was the beginning of a friendship they wouldn’t realize would blossom until almost five years later.
“I’ve known Gvido since we were six years old or so,” Buncis said. “We used to room together at national team camps and stuff like that so we got closer at those.”
Despite brief stints with the Latvian national team, Buncis and Jansons took different paths in their hockey journey; Buncis remained with SK Riga for two more seasons, while Jansons chose to make the early trip to the U.S. and join the Selects Hockey Academy in Connecticut.
For Jansons, the early arrival to the U.S. helped him adjust to the North American style of play.
“I came here when I was only 14, so I got adjusted to the speed and what the expectations (are to play) in college,” Jansons said. “I knew what kind of style they play and what I needed to be ready for.”
By the 2014-15 season, both players would find themselves in the United States; in fact, they were both playing in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). Like their time in Latvia, they were playing for different teams.
After two seasons with the Selects Hockey Academy, Jansons joined the Aston Rebels. Buncis, on the other hand, had a three-year tenure and was named captain his final season with the Johnstown Tomahawks.
Even though they played together at the World Juniors, playing against each other in Latvia and in the NAHL kept the two nothing more than mutual acquaintances.
“Even at the time when we played in the North American Hockey League, we weren’t that close or friendly,” Buncis said.
Following the conclusion of their careers in the NAHL, they both set their sights on college hockey and began a new chapter together at ASU.
“He was actually the first one that committed and I followed him after that,” Buncis said. “At the time, I thought it was really crazy how it worked out that there aren’t that many Latvian college hockey players, and what are the odds that me and Gvido end up at the same school and same team.”
The connection between the two Latvian natives was almost instantaneous. They roomed together when they arrived at ASU and have been roommates ever since.
“We both came to the U.S. to play junior hockey and we both got recruited here and we have been living together for the past three years,” Jansons said. “It’s nice to go back to your dorm or our apartment now and talk Latvian and be with your native teammate.”
Living together helped their bond become stronger than it had ever been, especially being so far away from their home.
“It makes it a little bit easier because I live with someone who really understands me and has the same roots as me,” Jansons said. “On Sundays we always have dinner together or those little small things at the house that we do, it just makes it feel like home.”
While the connection between the two is strong off the ice, their impact is even more evident in the rink. Head coach Greg Powers notes that they are two standout players on the team.
“They’re both such great kids, incredible teammates, great students,” Powers said. “They’re models on and off the ice, they work hard in the weight room, they’re just awesome kids to be around. They always have smiles on their faces and we’re just happy they are a part of our program.”
Buncis, who recorded five goals and five assists last season, understands the team’s “Be the Tradition” mantra. He knows his and Jansons’ work ethic fuels the squad day in and day out, especially with the start of the season right around the corner.
“It’s just how we grew up,” Buncis said. “We definitely just bring presence to the weight room and on the ice because we’ve both put a lot of extra work and every day we show up and we try to get better.”
They're accustomed to the North American style and playing against competitive talent, but they do it in rare company as Latvian hockey players in the NCAA.
“We are the only two Latvians here and I think it’s amazing. It’s a great opportunity to represent Latvia,” Buncis said. “We definitely take pride in that.
"At the end of the day, we represent more than just us. It’s ASU, our hockey team, but it’s also our home country,” he said.
Reach the reporter at aklatsky@asu.edu and follow @averyklatsky on Twitter.
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